1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to devices for carrying a supply of workpieces. More specifically, the present invention is a device worn by a bricklayer for carrying a small supply of bricks.
2. Discussion of Background:
Bricklaying is an old art; bricks have been used in construction for five thousand years. Bricks are laid in courses by bricklayers who apply mortar to the brick to be laid and then position it against adjacent bricks, tapping it into place.
Bricklaying is not an easy task for a number of masons, but particularly because of the frequent bending to pick up bricks. Supplies of bricks are usually dumped on the ground at intervals along a course so that the bricklayer does not have to reach far for the next brick, but he or she still has to bend down to pick up each brick. This is the method used for thousands of years to lay bricks.
Because many bricklayers get paid based on the number of bricks laid or the completion of a job requiring a certain number of bricks, it is an economic necessity for bricklayers to minimize the transition time between positioning bricks. The current method of bending down to pick up each brick for positioning is inefficient.
Them are a number of devices for use in carrying various other supplies, tools or workpieces, but none are believed to exist for bricks. Many of these incorporate belts to which holders are secured. Some also have harnesses or vests that distribute the weight of the items held to the shoulders and back of the wearer. See for example the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,067,643 issued to McKinney. McKinney's hip level pack frame, suitable for holding newspapers or seedlings, is attached to a belt in such a way that it pivots as the wearer stoops. However, McKinney's device has bags that are not suitable for holding bricks.
Them remains a need for a device that helps a bricklayer to lay bricks by reducing the number of times a bricklayer must bend down to pick up bricks.